Cleveland Digital Literacy Initiative Largest to Date in U.S. -- re>
CLEVELAND, May 3 /PRNewswire/ --

Cleveland Digital Literacy Initiative Largest to Date in U.S.
Certiport IC3 Plays Key Role in City's Visionary Plan to Advance Worker Skills

CLEVELAND, May 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Certiport CEO, David Saedi, today joined
Cleveland Mayor Jane L. Campbell at the Ashbury Computer Center in ribbon
cutting ceremonies launching the city's initiative to offer technology
training, financial literacy, and Certiport Internet and Computing Core
Certification (IC3 (R)) to 30,000 low-income residents over the next five
years. IC3 was chosen as a measurement of success for the city's "Computer
Learning in My Backyard (CLIMB)" program because of IC3's stature as a global
standard for digital literacy, offering recipients a portable credential to
distinguish themselves and to enter or advance in the workplace.
"We believe the IC3 credential is an important validation of success for
people completing this training program," stated Mayor Campbell. "Computer
and Internet skills are no longer optional for success on the job. Our
objective is to help close the digital skills gap for an important segment of
our population that needs a helping hand. With these validated skills, new
avenues for higher paying jobs will open up for program graduates and
Cleveland will benefit by building a stronger online community of tech savvy
residents."
Certiport joins the City of Cleveland and its strategic partners, Cuyahoga
Community College, Cleveland Digital Vision, IBM, Cleveland Housing Network,
Ashbury Computer Center, Famicos Foundation, SBC, PerceptIS and others in
this, the largest citywide digital literacy initiative of its kind to date in
the United States. Teknimedia Corporation, a Certiport approved courseware
vendor based in Bethesda, Md., will supply its PCIC3-Getting Ready for IC3
courseware as the digital literacy curriculum.
"We praise the City of Cleveland's leadership role in addressing the
urgent need for better prepared workers with the computer skills vital for
success in the Information Age workforce of the 21st Century," stated David
Saedi, President and CEO of Certiport. "Cities, states, and countries around
the world are facing stiff competition in a global economy made much smaller
by the Internet. Those regions taking action now to address this
workforce-development issue will thrive in the marketplace of tomorrow. Hats
off to Mayor Campbell and her technology team for having the vision and the
broad community support to launch this innovative CLIMB program."
Added Ed Shahmirzadi, President of Teknimedia, "We are very proud to have
been selected by the City of Cleveland and its partners as the digital
literacy curriculum provider for their ground breaking CLIMB program. "We are
confident that our best-in-class training solution, combined with the world's
leading Internet and computer literacy certification program from Certiport,
will provide CLIMB learners with the knowledge, skills, and credentials needed
to advance in today's high-tech workplace."
The IC3 program is recognized as the global standard for current and
relevant computer and Internet skills and follows the recommendations of the
Global Digital Literacy Council (GDLC) (www.gdlcouncil.org), the preeminent
advisory body that reviews and updates digital literacy standards based on
input from hundreds of subject matter experts worldwide. The IC3 program is
recommended by organizations that include the International Society for
Technology in Education (ISTE), the National Skills Standards Board (NSSB),
and the American Council on Education (ACE).
About Certiport
Certiport provides industry-leading training, assessment, and
certification solutions that enable individuals to develop the skills
necessary to achieve more, distinguish themselves, and advance in today's
academic and business environments. These solutions include the Microsoft(R)
Office Specialist certification program and the Internet and Computing Core
Certification (IC3), delivered in 20 languages through a channel of more than
9,000 Certiport Centers in 128 countries worldwide. For more information
about Certiport, visit www.certiport.com.
About Teknimedia
Teknimedia is a leading provider of e-learning software designed to teach
computer skills to learners in the education, government, corporate, and
consumer markets. Founded in 1996, Teknimedia's mission is to bridge the
digital divide effectively and efficiently using advanced technology.
Teknimedia's products, including PCIC3-Getting Ready for IC3, are helping
hundreds of thousands of individuals improve their education and careers by
learning computer skills. For more information about Teknimedia, visit
www.teknimedia.com.
Certiport and IC3 are registered trademarks of Certiport, Inc. in the
United States and other countries. Microsoft is a registered trademark of
Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.
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David Saedi
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